Actually, I do think the white woman saying "Harold call me" was intended to be racist, but then again, politics is a dirty business. Ford think answered it best when he basically said, "What they get me on is saying I like WOmen." As good as "There you go again."

Posted by: Daryl Rosenblatt at
October 26, 2006 7:23 PM

It was "intended" to be racist? Bah. It was intended to be anti-semitic.

Interesting note on negative campaigning. I was with my 17 year old on a college visit (don't ask--not like when I applied), and on the TV was a negative ad. This happened to be by a republican candidate for congress. It only mentioned his opponent, and then destroyed him. Now my son is only barely interested in politics at this point, but commented that if he could vote, he would vote for the guy (the victim, the dem in this case). It was a really virulent piece of hate.

Now you go to NJ, where Kean and Menendez are outdoing themselves in an effort to make the other guy look worse than Jack th eRipper (or worse, Alan Hevesi, talk about toast). It is not about which party, nor is it the beginning of dirty campaigning, which has a long and proud history, but how, in this age of instant and total communications, this type of tactic gets blown up even more than it is.

Posted by: Daryl Rosenblatt at
October 27, 2006 4:16 PM

On this we'll definitely agree, Daryl. I've been subjected to three big races (VA Senate, MD Senate and Governor) and Steele is the only one not relying principally on negative ads. Ehrlich has been okay, but basically it's been nothing but attack, attack, attack.

But, your son's example aside, the sad fact is it works, or they wouldn't do it.